The New Hijri Year

First Khutbah Praise be to Allah, who has sent to us a Prophet who is the best of all creation and made Him the seal of the heavenly messages. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. May Allah’s peace, blessings, and mercy be upon him, his family, his companions, and those who follow him until the Day of Judgment. To proceed: I advise you, O servants of Allah, and myself, to have taqwa of Allah, for indeed,  Allah loves the righteous. ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ﴾. O Believers, We extend our congratulations to you on the beginning of a new Hijri year. We ask Allah, the Exalted, to make it a year filled with blessings and goodness, crowned with success and accomplishment, for us, for our nation, and for our wise leadership. May peace, safety, stability, and tranquility prevail throughout the world. On this noble occasion, we pause with you to reflect on a radiant page from the blessed biography of our Prophet ﷺ the page of his Hijrah (migration), It was a journey to establish faith, reinforce values, lay the foundations of stability, spread peace, and build a homeland. Indeed, that phase of the Prophet’s ﷺ life was a path of building elevated human values. Upon his arrival [in Madinah], He immediately introduced four noble principles, laying the foundation stone with peace. He ﷺ said: «‌أَفْشُوا ‌السَّلَامَ، وَأَطْعِمُوا الطَّعَامَ، وَصِلُوا ‌الْأَرْحَامَ، وَصَلُّوا بِاللَّيلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ، تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلَامٍ». “Spread peace, feed the hungry, maintain ties of kinship, and pray at night while others are asleep you will enter Paradise in peace.” Peace is the foremost humanitarian principle the Prophet laid down and the primary structure of values He constructed. Unsurprisingly, it is through peace that hostility vanishes, relationships are solidified, hearts are brought into harmony, and efforts are unified, leading to the rise of civilizations and the flourishing of societies. The second value that the Prophet ﷺ called for was: «وَأَطْعِمُوا الطَّعَامَ» “And feed the hungry.” This ensures mutual support within the community, strengthens ties among its members, and fosters cohesion and cooperation. Thus, giving becomes their natural trait, generosity and hospitality their habit. As a result, Allah is pleased with their deeds, and out of His bounty, He grants them even more. For He says: ﴿وَمَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ﴾. “And whatever you spend in His cause He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers.” As for the third value, O servants of Allah, it is found in the Prophet’s ﷺ words: «وَصِلُوا ‌الْأَرْحَامَ»،  “Maintain the ties of kinship.”  This is so that bonds may be strengthened, and relationships fortified within families and extended households. Then, this value expands to encompass all members of society under its shade. So be mindful of Allah, by whom you make demands of one another, and by the ties of kinship.” ﴿واتقوا الله الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ﴾. And the Prophet ﷺ concluded his hadith with a value rooted in faith and worship, saying: «وَصَلُّوا بالليل وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ»، “And pray at night while others are asleep.” So do not neglect, O servants of Allah, your connection with your Lord. Fulfill His right over you, no matter how busy you are. Set aside time to privately converse with your Creator, so that you may be among those described as: ﴿يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا﴾ “They spend the night before their Lord, prostrating and standing.” Whoever is keen on upholding these values, preserving them, and fulfilling them as they deserve, Allah will admit them into Paradise in peace. ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾. “O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” I say these words of mine, and I ask Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. Second Khutbah All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad after whom there is no prophet  and upon his family, his companions, and all those who follow his guidance.  To proceed: O Believers, As we now enter the summer vacation period, coinciding with the occasion of the Prophet’s Hijrah, we extend our congratulations to our children on their holiday, and we urge parents to exert extra effort in caring for them. Congratulations to those who are keen on their children’s time, who accompany them to the prayers, and to gatherings attended by people of virtue and honor. For indeed, bad companions and idle time can lead to dangerous habits, such as drug abuse. And among the most important lessons to reflect upon as we remember the Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ is his saying: «الْمُهَاجِرُ ‌مَنْ ‌هَجَرَ مَا نَهَـى اللَّهُ عَنْهُ» “The true emigrant is the one who forsakes what Allah has forbidden.” It is only fitting that we embody these words in our lives by avoiding laziness and complacency, by not neglecting our children, and by fulfilling our duty and responsibility toward them. Let every father among us ask himself: How does my child spend his time? With whom does he spend it? Is he safe from corrupting online content? Is he protected from harmful friendships that could lead him down the destructive path of drugs? O Father, remember the words of the Prophet ﷺ: «‌إِنَّ ‌اللَّهَ ‌سَائِلٌ كُلَّ رَاعٍ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُ، أَحَفِظَ ذَلِكَ أَمْ ضَيَّعَ؟». “Indeed, Allah will ask every shepherd about his flock: Did he uphold his responsibility, or did he neglect it?” And you, the one who has fallen into the trap of drugs: Have you thought about the sorrow of your parents because of you? Have you thought about your future? Isn’t it time for you to give up drugs, to save yourself, and to seek treatment before it’s too late?  Where are you in light of the Prophet’s ﷺ words: «لَا تَزُولُ قَدَمَا عَبْدٍ ‌يَوْمَ ‌القِيَامَةِ ‌حَتَّى ‌يُسْأَلَ...‌ عَنْ جِسْمِهِ فِيمَ أَبْلَاهُ» “The feet of a servant will not move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things... one of them: about his body, how he used it.” So be aware, O servants of Allah, that we are all accountable before Allah for this generation; we will be questioned. Each one of us has a clear role to play, so let every person fulfill their duty, seeking thereby the pleasure of their Lord, and prioritizing the welfare of their homeland. These are among the meanings and values of Hijrah. Whoever understands them will strive, and whoever follows their path will walk the road of building and giving. Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet.   ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾ “O you who have believed, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace”. O Allah, send Your peace, blessings, and grace upon our Master and Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family, his companions, and those who follow them in righteousness. O Allah, be pleased with Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, And with all the noble Companions. O Allah, make us believers in You, devoted in worship to You, and diligent in elevating the strength and unity of our society. Make us dutiful to our parents, and have mercy on them, as they raised us when we were young. O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, forgive all who have given charitable endowments (waqf) for Your sake, seeking only Your pleasure and hoping for Your Paradise. O Allah, preserve the United Arab Emirates, its leadership, its people, its land and sea, its skies and soil. Encompass it with Your protection, guard it with Your care, and watch over it with Your Eye that never sleeps. Shield us from the evil of every evildoer, O Most Merciful. O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace, so bestow upon the entire world the blessing of peace. O Allah, protect the President of the State, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Clothe him in garments of righteousness and wisdom, and grant success to him, his deputies, his brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and to his loyal Crown Prince, in all that you love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and all the leaders of the UAE who have passed on to Your mercy. Admit them, by Your grace, into the vast gardens of Paradise, and encompass the martyrs of our nation with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on the Muslim men and women, and the believing men and women, those who are living and those who have passed away. O servants of Allah: Remember Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, He will remember you. Give thanks to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you. And establish the prayer